Bloody NYC
by Have a little Faithe
Summary: Slayers all around the world are awakened, and one falls into the hands of a stranger, but can a past hero find the potential in time to save her frmo a new danger?
1. Bloody

_"…nature's first green is gold…her hardest hue to hold…her early leaf's a flower; but only so an hour... then leaf subsides to leaf…so Eden sank to grief…so dawn goes down to day…nothing gold can stay…"_

A young girl, around 15, sat atop a branch in a large oak tree, down in the heart of New York City. One of the many trees who's fate was inevitably a wood chipper to make room for more buildings, just to spew out more superficial media crap and poison the minds of impressionable young people around the world.

_Hmmm…superficial media crap…good, good…_

The girl closed her book of Robert Frost poems, and took out a leather-bound, blank book, in which the first few pages were filled with scribbles of poetry, drawings, and thoughts. She placed both books back in a large black bag, one with many patches and buttons on it. She leaned back into the tree, completely hidden in shadows as she heard the crackling of twigs beneath someone's feet. Staying as still as she could, she watched, her eyes wide with anticipation, as a young man and woman went strolling through the grass beneath her, holding hands and giggling, whispering to each other. They stopped beneath the tree, and sat onto the ground, cuddling and kissing. The girl above them closed her eyes and sighed.

_How the hell am I gonna' get out now?_

Her question was answered, when a man in a police uniform came striding towards the couple.  
"Hey, HEY! You shouldn't be here! This is a construction site! This tree's about to come down, you know!" he called, getting closer to the couple. The man stood up from his spot on the grass and helped his girlfriend up.  
"Oh, sorry, sir…w-we didn't know." he nodded in the policeman's direction, then made to turn around. The girl in the tree watched with baited breath as the couple began to leave. Suddenly, the policeman said,  
"Hey, you forgot something…a book."

_Oh…no. Did I drop something? Oh, God I'm in trouble…_

The man and woman turned around, the man stating,  
"We didn't bring a bo-"  
He stopped.  
He just stopped.  
He stopped?

_What the hell?_

The girl in the tree strained to see below her in the tangled, thick mass of leaves in the tree, but she only saw the outline of the police man's figure, and the couple huddled together, looks or horror on their faces.  
"OH GOD! OH GOD GET AWAY!" She heard the man scream, as she watched the police man approach them. She leaned forwards slightly, to catch a glimpse of what horror the man had laid eyes on, and immediately wished she hadn't. The police man's face was dreadfully disfigured, his nose and forehead seemed to be shrivelled and bumpy, his eyes were yellow, and bulging, and his pale skin shone, the full moon above them lighting his face eerily. The girl stifled a gasp, and lost her footing in the tree, slipping ever so slightly, making a scratching noise with the large black boots the were on her feet. Luckily for her, the woman had screamed at that moment, as the police man bared what looked like glistening fangs, growling and snarling.

_Oh…my…God…_

It happened so quickly, the girl didn't have to time to react. The creature lunged at the couple, as their screams of terror filled the air. These screams soon turned to screams of pain, and pleas for release. The monster had them trapped, as the terrified girl in the tree watched, he snapped the neck of the man, and advanced on the woman, who was on the ground, shielding her face and sobbing. The rest was a blur of blood and screams, the girl still hiding in the tree watched for a good 10 minutes. Finally, the woman's body went limp in the vampire's grasp, and he dropped her, looking up to the sky, the blood around his mouth glistening and dripping off his face. He looked down at the bodies, inspecting his work. Inspecting? He seemed…proud. An odd feeling was in the pit of the girl's stomach as she looked down to the mangled bodies, and the vampire began to stride away from the scene. No remorse, no feelings at all. Like he did this every day. The girl in the tree didn't even have a chance to climb down and run home, tell the authorities…tell someone. She felt faint, and everything went black.

Her body fell from the tree, onto the ground, and stayed there, motionless.

At that moment, a few hundred miles away, in the little town of Sunnydale, California, the people's warrior gathered together a band of girls, a creature of the night became a hero and saved the world, and a great Wiccan of their time became a Goddess…with a flash of light, a web of power was spread throughout the world, and millions of girls were called…

Back in New York, two years later, Charlotte Meyers woke with a start in a hospital.


	2. New

Her short pink hair was flat against the back of her head, her brown eyes were wide with panic, Charlotte had just woken from a coma, but remembered the day she blacked out perfectly. Her day at school was clear in her mind…

Sitting in the school cafeteria, sipping on a coke, Charlotte was alone at the table hse always sat at. Of course, no one would go near her, and the usual whispers and undertones she heard when people passed her were no surprise.  
"Freak."  
"Loser."  
Cough. "Weirdo" Cough.  
She normally didn't pay any attention to this, but one person's voice caught her attention.  
"He was acting like a zombie-vampire or something" and a chortle and giggle behind her. She knew better than to say anything, but her knowledge of all that is dark got best of her.  
"Actually, vampires are not zombies, they-" she said, turning around.  
"What? Was I talking to you, loser?" the boy behind her said, scowling.  
That night, as well, was coming back to her, and she remembered the awful screams of pain and horror, and the mutated face of the…vampire? Was it real? Had she dreamed it? And WHY in the hell was she in a hospital. She turned to her surroundings, to find her in a room with other people, all who seemed to be in the state she was just in. But something was odd…she should have felt weak…tired, and maybe even paralysed.

_I'm no doctor, but shouldn't I be a vegetable?_

Quickly, without even thinking, she grabbed something beside her bed, pulling it up. She had a feeling something was watching her, and she was right. She had grabbed a small, pale girl, who looked as if she was only a child. Her eyes seemed older, though, filled with fear, but wisdom, and she had a twitchy way about her. When Charlotte pulled the girl to eye level, she saw she would be only a few inches above her waist. The girl was twitching, her eyes wide and scared. She struggled against Charlotte's grip, but Charlotte held onto her, her grip strong, and not budging. This confused Charlotte. She had never been that active, and she wasn't the strongest person she knew.  
"Who are you?" Charlotte asked, her voice quavering slightly. She had a strong feeling that this girl wasn't exactly what she seemed. She sensed something she could not name, but kept her hold on the tiny stranger. "Who are you? Why are you here?" Charlotte noticed the girl had not hospital clothes on, but a pair of ragged plaid pants, and a white t-shirt, with stains and dirt on it. The girl merely looked at Charlotte with fear and anxiety in here eyes. She finally whispered, so quiet, Charlotte had to lean close to hear;  
"Slayer."  
"Slayer? You're a Slayer? What are you talking about?" Charlotte shook the frail arm of the blonde girl in her grasp once more and looked at the her closely.  
"You!" she said, pointing a finger at Charlotte. "SLAYER!"  
"SHH!" Charlotte put a hand over the girl's mouth. "I'm a what? What in the frilly heck is a Slayer?" The girl just looked vacantly at her, and Charlotte removed her hand. "Don't yell. Who are you?" The girl just looked down and trembled. "Hey…it's alright, I'm not gonna' hurt you."  
"But you will! You are supposed to!" the girl looked up, and shook even more violently. Her wide, pale eyes were brimming with tears. "You are the vampire slayer!"  
"And what are you, a vampire?" Charlotte snapped, raising her eyebrows. The girl just looked at her with a blank expression on her face, and Charlotte's rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, come on, you got to be kidding me!" she let go of the girl, who immediately made a run for the door. "No, no! You're not going anywhere." she grabbed her again, and pulled her towards the bed again. "You are gonna' tell me everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Starting with you name."  
"Why not, I can't and Ellophusium." the girl said, very quickly. Charlotte gave her a incredulous look.  
"What?"  
"Why can I not go, I can't tell you everything, and my name is Ellophusium."  
"Well, Ellophusium…you're staying with me until I know everything. If you can't tell me everything, who can?"

A young woman, at the age of 18, walked off a plane into the crowded New York airport. She swept her brown hair our of her piercing blue eyes and scanned the crowd. Wearing a long black leather trench coat sent from a friend in LA, she strode out of the airport. Behind her, slowly, someone lurked within the shadows, following her. She stopped, and looked into a nearby alleyway, her hand going casually to her pocket. The figure in the shadows stood still, watching it's prey's every move. The woman continued walking, but into the alley. The shape in the shadows saw its chance, and leapt from the corner in which it was hiding. The woman turned, pulling a stick of wood from her pocket, and plunging it into the heart of her attacker. The assailant immediately turned to dust, and the woman smiled. She pocketed the stick, and began walking out of the alley. The lights from the New York's nightlight hit the face of Dawn Summers as she continued walking down the street, hair and black coat trailing behind her.


	3. York

Back at the hospital Charlotte found a box with her clothes in it underneath her bed. She slowly began getting dressed. Was this Ellophusium (she told Charlotte to call her Ellen) person a lunatic, or something? Was she just walking into a trap of child molesters who prey on weak girls who have just come out of comas? She felt strong, though, stronger than before, and stronger than she should be in her state. After putting her Capri army print pants and black and grey striped socks on , she found she had lost weight, and could fit almost comfortably in her clothes.  
"How long was I in here?" Charlotte said aloud, not expecting an answer.  
"Two years, one month, and twelve days." Ellen chirped.  
"Two years!" Charlotte pulled her black tank top on, and her thick black boots. She shook her head, messing up her hair, which she had found to have grown considerably, with her fingers. She wanted a mirror, badly. "So, Ellen, what's your deal?" She walked out from behind the screen she changed behind and looked down at Ellen, who was sitting on the bed, dangling her feet. She looked up at Charlotte, and shrugged. "Come on, there's gotta' be something…I mean, do you look for Slayers as a job? Pretty tough for a kid…"  
"I am no child!" Ellen said, in a very low voice, and looked at Charlotte with daggers in her eyes. "I am older than you can or shall ever comprehend." Charlotte's smile faded and she looked to the ground.  
"Uh…sorry, then." She then looked straight into Ellen's eyes. "Who are you?"  
"I am a Geminitrium demon." she said coldly, folding her arms in front of her chest.  
"Alright…and what is a Gummy-petrium demon?" Charlotte folded her arms in the same fashion as Ellen. Ellen sighed, and hopped off the bed.  
"There's not time. We need to go." She grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her towards the door. Ellen seemed to have gotten taller than when she first saw her. She tried pulling her arm out of Ellen's grasp but she kept a firm grip on her.  
"Where are we going?" Charlotte again tried to free herself, but to no avail.  
"You'll see when we get there."  
"OW! Stop it! You're hurting my arm."   
"See how you like it…" Ellen mumbled, as she pulled Charlotte out of the door.

The business called show thrived in New York, the bright lights flashing the names of Broadway stars about big theatres. Even small joints, where wannabe singers and stand up comedians go to make it big, though years after, end up sitting in the same bar. Dawn stopped in front of a small bar at the end of a long, dark street. The outside was worse for wear, the shingles falling off the sloping roof, the bricks painted black, and a broken sign above the wooden door that read, "Mandy's Place". Dawn smirked as she stopped in front of the door, then pushed it open into a small dark room, lit by many candles, and a few cigarettes of the patrons inside. A small stage took up the end, it's curtains were once, Dawn suspected, purple, but after many years of accumulated dust, were now grey. Slowly, Dawn walked over to the bar on the other end of the room. She leaned onto the counter, as the bar tender, a demon with floppy ears and flabby skin, was happily mixing a martini for a customer. He poured it into a glass, and handed it to the demon standing on front of him. The demon, a grey, human looking creature, put the glass beneath a long, string like thing hanging from his neck, a loud slurping noise emitting from his throat. As he walked away, Dawn cleared her throat. The bar tender turned around, and smiled.  
"And how may I help you, little lady--" he stopped, and his mouth dropped open. "Dawn?" Dawn smiled, and nodded.  
"Hey, Clem."  
"Oh golly! This is terrific! Dawn! DAWN? I can't believe it! How ya doin'? How's your sister!" Clem began bouncing on his heels, and many demons in the bar turned to look at him, including the one onstage, who was making an odd gurgling noise from his nose. Dawn just grabbed Clem's shoulder and pulled him down.  
"Calm down."  
"Right…right." Clem let out a breath and smiled widely. "Come on…let's go somewhere else." He moved towards the end of the counter, and opened the gate. Putting his arm around Dawn, he steered her towards a small room at the back, the doorway draped in blue beads. Inside, Clem sat Dawn down at a scrubbed wooden table. He hovered near the table, quivering with excitement. "Nice jacket, there. Can I get you something? A coke, a chocolate milk?" He smacked his forehead, "Oh, you're too old for that…uh…a beer?" Dawn shook her head.  
"No thanks, Clem." Clem let out a sigh of relief.  
"Good, 'cause I wouldn't feel right giving you booze." He sat at the table across from her, and smiled again. "So. How are ya? Your sis'? Everybody else?"

"Buffy is good. Everyone's good. Well, we moved to Italy after…" Dawn cut off, looking at her hands. "Well, you know."  
"Yeah, I heard. Whole town got sucked in, eh?" He stopped smiling, and took one of Dawn's hands. "I'm sorry to hear about Anya and," he hesitated, "Spike." Dawn looked up quickly. "New travels fast in the demon world. Everyone knows."  
"Well not that fast, then. Spike came back." Dawn saw the puzzled look on Clem's face, "A long story with a amulet and Angel. But, he came back in L.A. We didn't even know."  
"Oh…the L.A. scene. Na-sty. The apocalypse and all. How'd that go for Angel and them?" Dawn shrugged slightly, and looked up to Clem.  
"Not really sure. Just heard a few things. No details. Angel was hurt…bad. And Spike…he…" Dawn subconsciously started fiddling with the collar of her coat. Clem tilted his head to the side and frowned.  
"Oh…not again?"  
"Yeah. Angel sent this, with a note explaining everything that happened before." She gestured to the coat. Clem nodded and leaned back on his chair.  
"So…what can I do ya for? I don't think you came all the way here for a chocolate milk and chat with Clem."  
"Yeah…sorry, Clem, but I have work to do. You can do something for me though. I need to find someone. Tall, green, red eyes, hangs around karaoke bars. Seen him 'round?"


	4. City

Dawn hurried out of the bar as quickly as she could, sprinting down the street and to the nearest bus stop. As waited impatiently, tapping her foot and checking her watch, as the bus slowly pulled up and stopped. She stepped up onto the high stairs on the bus, and frowned. It smelled like cabbage, and many old people. She walked past the driver, dropping her money into the bucket. The driver looked hungrily up at her, licking his lips. She grimaced, and sat as far back as possible. Leaning her head on the grimy window, cold air seeping through a crack, she watched as the scenery began moving faster past her, as the bus started it's steady pace up a hill. People around her were chatting, some were even sleeping, and as Dawn turned to look at the people behind her…  
"GODDAMMIT!"

"Watch it!" Charlotte grabbed Ellen around the waist and pulled her from in front of a bus. Ellen stared at the spot she had once been, then looked to Charlotte. She shook loose from Charlotte's grasp and scowled. Charlotte looked at her in disbelief. "I just saved you! You should be more careful." She gawked at the blank expression on Ellen's face and furrowed her brow, "Are you, like, very, VERY stoned?" Ellen merely walked past her, down the side of the street. Charlotte followed reluctantly. "Are we there yet?" Ellen stopped, and turned around.  
"Why?"  
"Why what why…what?" Charlotte felt a headache coming on, and the source was standing right in front of her. She gritted her teeth and crossed her arms.  
"Why did you pull me away from the bus?" she looked at Charlotte with wide eyes. Her face seemed sallow, and dark rings were under her eyes. Charlotte's gaze softened.  
"'Cause. I'd be lost. I don't know what's going on. And even though I'm not getting much from you…" she smiled, and tilted her head to the side, "…it's better than being alone." Ellen looked to the ground, and turned quickly. "Let me ask you why." Ellen stopped, her back to Charlotte. "Why are you…different? You seem…sick. Or weak. But in the hospital…when you grabbed me…you were…bigger?" She said this with a question in her voice, but Ellen continued walking. Charlotte kept quiet the rest of the walk, and only studied her surroundings. Ellen had led her down a dark subway, into tunnels and down alleys. Charlotte had never ventured farther than the park, and was slightly unnerved by the quietness of the empty passageways Ellen was bringing her through.  
"Stop asking me questions. I can't answer them." Ellen said suddenly, Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Mark will explain everything."  
"Mark? Who's Mar-" Charlotte closed her mouth in mid sentence, remembering the no questions request. Ellen kept walking, as they now entered a very damp and unpleasant smelling tunnel, and as Charlotte stepped down, she found she sunk slightly into some type of sludge. "Ugh…" she kicked it off her shoe and stepped lightly.

"Mark works with me. You'll have much in common."  
"Why? Is he a Slayer too?"  
"No…he is very odd…and has messy hair like you." Charlotte automatically put a hand to her hair, ruffling it. "Come, we're close."

After pulling the stop signal, Dawn got off the bus, and quickly walked towards another bar. Many people looked at her as she strode past, and kicked down the door of a two story brick building, and she entered into a well lit room, a piano playing and people dancing. She took a look around and spotted a tall man with a hat and jacket on, his back to her. She walked over and spun him around, keeping hold of his coat. A human man looked startled as Dawn looked into his face. She let go immediately, and walked to the bar. A very short bartender with black hair was talking to a man at the counter, his voice strangely familiar, and annoying. He looked weasel-ish, with a pointed nose and watery eyes. Dawn slammed her fist onto the counter.  
"Willy!" Willy turned with shock and grasped his chest.  
"Uh…I…uh…" Willy froze, then bolted towards the door. Dawn caught him and pinned him to the wall, in a nearby hallway, hidden in shadows. She looked him in the face.  
"Where is he? I know you got my letter…where is he?" Willy winced and shook his head.  
"I have no clue what you're talking about, kid." Dawn shook him and slammed him harder against the wall. Willy whimpered and cracked, "Alright! Upstairs! Room number eight. But he don't like company!" Dawn was already making her way up the stairs and into a long hallway, doors on each side. She walked to number eight, and knocked. A rustling sound came from inside, and she waited. The door, still attached to the chain lock, opened with a jerk. A red eye appeared between a crack and the door, then the door shut quickly. Dawn took no hesitation in kicking this door down as well, and a tall, green demon stumbled backwards. He landed on a chair, then looked up to Dawn, frowning. Bottles of alcohol littered the ground, and a TV tray with a microwave dinner sat in front of an old television set.  
"Can you READ?" he croaked, pointing to the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on his door handle. Dawn kicked the chair from beneath him and pulled him up, throwing him against the wall. The once tall, slender demon now leaned heavily against the wall, his body weight falling into it. His face was thin, and no longer held the smile it used to. He sighed and leaned against the wall. "What do you want?" Dawn looked at him with fire in her eyes.  
"You know what I want."  
"No, I don't…" he quickly changed his sentence to, "Alright. But you know what I want. Let's swap stories." Dawn looked confused for a second, then let him go. The once joyful and glowing face of Lorne was now grubby, his eyes cold and hard, yet a flicker of concern filled his voice when he said, "You tell me what happened in L.A., you get what you need."


	5. Apocalypse

A year before, a giant dragon flew overhead Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Illyria, as many other demons steadily marched forward. Gunn stood shakily, holding his side in agony, as Spike and Angel surveyed the mass of attackers.  
"Well, personally, I'd like to slay the dragon." Angel smirked grimly, as it screeched above them, circling. The pounding around him drained out all sound, as his eyes narrowed, and he prepared to fight. Someone was talking, he couldn't tell who, but he shouted out to the small group of followers, as he swung his sword and chopped a demon approaching him in half. Behind him, Illyria fought tens at a time, and his fellow vampire took on three. Gunn held up, killing two, but then stumbling to the ground. Angel felt an urge to help him, but the rest of the demons kept coming, and he was busily fighting them off. All that was going through his mind was how many people he was doing this for. Wesley, Gunn, Fred…Buffy. He thrust his sword into another oncoming demon, and felt something hit him from behind. He fell to the ground, his eyes watering, looking through the rain at a thinning horde of demons. Illyria was wiping them out as quickly as ever, but was knocked back by an enormous troll, and she lay, still, on the ground beside him. Angel got up, again swinging his sword and hacking at anything coming near him, knowing he had to hold on a bit longer. The demons were disappearing, only a hundred or so left. Bodies lay all around him, and he kept adding more and more, getting hit again, but staying up. Again, Illyria was back in action, knocking them back until there were fewer and fewer. Hearing a cry of pain behind him, he whipped around, seeing Spike stumble backwards, clutching his chest. He stood, breathing heavily, catching a glimpse of Angel, his eyes widened. A demon came charging towards Spike, and Angel made a move to run towards him when…everything went black.

The morning sun beat down over many glistening bodies of dead demons down an alley. Angel's eyes fluttered open, and he gasped, backing away from the sun. He lay beside an overturned dumpster, Illyria, beside him, her head bleeding from an open wound, but breathing normally. Angel turned his attention to the setting. The troll, the dragon, and the army lay dead, motionless. He tried sitting up, only to lay back down, spotting a heap on the ground near him. The bloodied body of Charles Gunn lay lifeless on the ground, split into pieces and torn apart. Angel closed his eyes and looked down. He gasped as his eyes came to rest upon his legs, one completely gone, the other, badly ripped apart and limp. He grunted in effort to move, but only collapsed again. Illyria sat bolt upright, her eyes scanning around her. She stopped when she spotted Angel beside her, and stood up quickly. Angel looked up to her.  
"What happened?" he rasped, his voice dry, and shaky. Illyria looked down at him and crouched beside him, taking a look at his leg.  
"You are badly wounded." she said, blinking slowly. "Your mobility will be faltered, yet we need to get out of here. Can you move?" Angel shook his head, and sighed, looking into the alley. A long strip of shadow came from the building beside him, and engulfed a dark shape in a heap a few feet away. A blonde head rolled onto it's shoulder, and Angel took in a sharp breath. Illyria walked over to Spike, kneeling in front of him. His breathing was shallow, and came in hiccough like breaths. Angel screwed up his eyes and hung his head.  
"Oh, God."  
Illyria came towards Angel and slowly picked him up from under his arms, and dragged him down the line of shadow to where Spike lay. She then moved to the dumpster, pushing it towards Angel again, covering him completely in shadow. Angel leaned on the wall next to Spike, looking down his legs, sprawled in the sunlight, one side of him split open, a large axe head stuck into his side, his face, half covered in blood…  
Sunlight?  
Angel looked in amazement at Spike's sun covered legs. He wasn't smoking, or burning. He then realised, and shook his head slightly. He jumped slightly when Spike spoke.  
"Shanshu thingy, am I right?" Angel looked up at Spike and nodded solemnly.  
"Champion, with a pivotal roll in the apocalypse."  
"Then why aren't you all down with the Pinocchio syndrome?" he chuckled slightly, then stopped, a pained look on his face. Blood trickled out of his mouth, down his chin. Angel couldn't watch.  
"I signed it away. To the Black Thorn. Guess since I couldn't get it…"  
"I got stuck holdin' the bag, eh?" Spike said darkly, taking a shuddering breath. "Where's Blue?" Illyria walked our from behind the dumpster and sat in front of Spike.  
"So this is why you are different. I felt it. You're mortal?" she searched Spike's face, then turned to Angel. A look in her eyes reminded him of a child's, confused, but in know. Angel nodded, as Illyria examined Spike's wound. "You shall die soon, though. As mortals do…" she then went quiet, her thoughts somewhere else.  
"And…Gunn?" Spike breathed the words, and Angel willed himself not to look over to the maimed body of his friend.  
"He fell. I saw. He was," Illyria spoke before Angel could, "very brave. He fought until he was dead."  
A pause, and everyone was silent, except for the laboured breathes of Spike. He groaned as he tried to release the axe from his side. Illyria grasped it and pulled, and Spike toppled over, grasping his side. He pushed himself up, and looked over to Angel, his head dropping to the side.

"Well, guess Angel's Avengers is out of business." he closed his eyes, and Illyria moved the dumpster once more, covering Angel and partially Spike. He shook his head, and looked up to Illyria. "No…I want to feel the-feel the sun." he said, pushing himself out into the middle of the alley, laying on his back and in the sunlight. He sighed heavily, his chest then rose very little as he breathed. Angel watched him as he smiled slightly. "Guess nothing ever happened then, for Buffy? She'll never even know I came back." Spike whispered this sadly, frowning slightly. Then he closed his eyes slowly, and opened them again. He sighed, and said, "Boy, I'm hungry." Angel chuckled, and smiled.  
"That's you, Spike. Always thinking of the wrong thing at the wrong time. He looked over to Spike, and felt something in the pit of his stomach drop. Spike lay motionless, his chest no long rising and falling gently with new found air, his eyes open, staring dreamily above him, small, giddy smile on his face. Illyria looked down at Spike and lowered her head, her blue hair falling into her face. Angel moved closer to Spike, pulling him into the shadow again. He looked into the face of his friend, his foe, his student, and confidant for many years. Slowly, he lay down the head of William, and closed his eyes. The end was there for a noble vampire, who gained life so quickly, then lost it at the same pace.

Illyria quietly moved towards them, and kneeled in front of Spike. Angel raised his eyes to her, and they sat glumly in silence. She let out a stifled sob, and then spoke.  
"I do not wish to do this any longer. I am sorry." Angel looked at her in surprise.  
"Sorry? For what?"  
"I took something of value to you. Fred. I've used this body for…nothing. I have gained nothing in this except for it to be taken away. I've felt guilt, and anger, and-and.." she shuddered, and felt her face, "pain. I don't see why we fought for what we did. But inside, I felt as if I owed something. Now that my debt has been paid, I no longer wish to continue with this." She looked at Angel with icy eyes, and Angel nodded. She turned her gaze to Spike again. "I don't understand why humans do what they do. Mortals. Foolish. Fighting for what they will never grasp or come to know. Everything I like has been taken away. Spike, Charles…Wesley…" she stopped and closed her eyes, whispering this last word as if, when she spoke it, it burned her inside. "I will help you one last time, but then…I cannot continue." They then sat in silence, the busy L.A. scene going on behind them, and no one recognising the loss that had been suffered. A brilliant scientist, her powerful, wise, warlock lover, an ex-lawyer with a heart of gold, a kind hearted man, misunderstood through life, and the end of an age in which evil ruled over most.

_A.N. This chapter is posted and dedicated to my one word wonder, red lighting. The only person to review my fic. nod Thanks!_

_Remember, theres more to come!_


	6. Kraft Dinner?

_A.N. Alright, thanks to Bob-from-Accounting for reviewing chapter five! I appreciate it greatly. You'll find out who Mark is in this chapter. He's kinda based on a good friend of mine, techy nerdy but ultimately cool. fo' sho'. And yes, the Powers That Be are cheap, poor Spike didn't get a chance. Bastards. Anywhoo..._

A chill ran through the dark tunnels of New York's subways. Ellen still grasped Charlotte's hand, pulling her along steadily. Charlotte began thinking about what had happened. How stupid was I for her to be following this child-like stranger, and how did she know her? What was a Slayer, and why her? Her legs ought to have gotten tired, but she felt as though she had worked out the entire time she was in a coma, her muscles working with ease. She knew something had to have happened, and she numbly followed Ellen, up until a small garbage can sitting a in a lone corner, the shadows concealing it. The platform for the subway was completely empty, yet Ellen peered over her shoulder before she walked up to the can. She stared down at it. Charlotte did as well.  
"What's supposed to happ-"  
"Shh!" Ellen's hiss echoed slightly in the damp tunnel walls, and Charlotte stood silent. Ellen walked a bit closer to the can, then kicked it. "Mark?" Charlotte waited with baited breath. She didn't know what to expect. Nothing. Ellen gave another kick, harder this time. Just as her foot hit the can, a window slid open from inside of it. The side of the can looked like a mini kiosk desk, and a man's head sat inside. Ellen had kicked a Plexiglas window, and the man inside yelped, his cry muffled slightly. His hair was dark, as were his eyes. He appeared very annoyed, his eyebrows, with a piercing through one of them, scrunched downwards and he scowled. Ellen shrugged and knocked on the glass again. "Mark? Mark let me in. I've got her!"

This Mark character smirked suddenly and cupped a hand to his ear, making an "O" shape with his mouth. Charlotte could barely hear "What? Sorry, can't hear you!" Ellen took in a deep breath and clenched her fists. Charlotte stopped staring at the small window for a second to look at Ellen, who seemed to have grown another inch. Her eyes widened as Ellen quivered slightly. Mark's face went into a worried frown, and he disappeared from sight. Charlotte guessed he was gone, but then heard a loud whooshing sound of hydraulics, and a puff of steam came from inside the garbage can. It rose up into the air, with a long, round elevator beneath it. The garbage can reached the ceiling, its grubby brown outsides turning into sleek metallic. The door suddenly rushed open, and Ellen walked inside. Charlotte stood aghast at this, her mouth opened slightly in surprise. Ellen tapped her foot impatiently.  
"Come on, now. We don't have all day." she grabbed Charlotte and pulled her inside. Charlotte stumbled into the small compartment, and she heard the doors whoosh close behind her. A rumbling sound startled her, and she got the feeling like they were moving. Her stomach dropped and she grabbed onto the side of the elevator compartment. Ellen simply grabbed her arm again, and pulled her out into a small, dimly lit room.

Suddenly, the lights turned on around them, to reveal a large room with many computers and electronics, beeping and whirring, and an odd smell. Charlotte rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the bright light. Ellen walked over to a computer chair, which was sitting in front of a blue screen. She kicked it, spinning it around. Mark sat, his feet up onto the seat, in his hands a bowl and spoon. His mouth was full, and he tried to smile, but only got half-way. Ellen peered over his shoulder, as he gulped.  
"What's this?" she growled, trying to see over the computer chair. Mark slammed his feet to the floor and rolled the chair in front of the screen.  
"Uh…nothing!" he turned quickly, the wheels squeaking, and he jabbed hurriedly at the keys on the keyboard. Ellen grabbed his hand and pulled it away.  
"Chatting? You were chatting on the main computer?"  
"No! Not _chatting…_it's a _message board_…jeez! Get it through your head…oooh ok…I'm sorry Ellen." Mark grinned nervously as Ellen tightened her grip on his wrist. Mark turned swiftly to face Charlotte, who had been watching them, amusement in her eyes. "Is this it?" Mark said, his head turning to the side. Ellen nodded. Charlotte scoffed, her eyes hardening, her smile dropping, and stood akimbo.  
"Excuse me…but "it" has a name." She frowned, and Mark rose to his feet, still holding the bowl in front of his face. He walked over, poking her shoulder.  
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry, m'lady. What's your name then?"  
"Charlotte." Charlotte stared down at him, a slight look of disgust on her face. Mark munched on his food. Ellen turned and clicked away at the computer.  
"We need to tell the boss about this. He'd want to know."  
"The boss? Know what? I don't get it." Charlotte looked over to Ellen, while Mark brought a spoonful of orange food to his mouth.  
"Want some Kraft Dinner?" he mumbled, looking up at Charlotte. Charlotte had just taken in Mark, and realised he was a bit shorter than her. He had messy black hair, and it stuck up in all directions. Keeping it from falling in his face was an old pair of motorcycle goggles. His jeans were worn and ripped, as well as the jean jacket and white shirt over his back. He shrugged when Charlotte wrinkled her nose, and he walked away. Ellen stood from the computer, and went into a small corner of the large area. Mark busied himself with a small piece of equipment, fiddling with knobs and gears. Charlotte had had enough.  
"HELLO? Is anyone here gonna' bother telling me about what the hell is happening!" she balled her hands into fists and looked angrily around the room. Ellen continued to rummage through a large bag, and Mark looked up, his eyes going wide, his mouth full of food so his cheeks were puffed out.

"Uhmmphh Ellphmm oldm yupmh eeyphmnng?" he tried to speak, but the food got in his way. Ellen then looked up, a look of sheer distaste on her face. Charlotte's mouth opened slightly, and she wrinkled her nose again. Mark chewed a bit, holding up one finger as as sign for them to be patient. He then swallowed noisily, taking a breath of air and repeating;  
"Oh. Ellen never told you anything?"  
"No! Ellen never told me anything! She only told me this far-fetched tale about how she's some sort of demon or something! Gemmy-penny-tree or something--"  
"Geminitrium." Mark corrected, but soon flinched as Charlotte flung her arms into the air. She put her hands down, and stared at Mark closely.  
"_What is that?"_ she whispered, her voice a low hiss. Mark took her arm and pulled her to the side, out of sight from Ellen, who had gone back to her work.  
"Do you want to know everything?" he asked, and Charlotte gave him a furious look. "Oh, of course you do. OK. First, I am Mark. She is Ellen, a Geminitrium demon…" Charlotte bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Mark continued quickly, "…have you noticed anything…er…strange about Ellen?"  
"Strange? Oh like, her not being normal? She's not human. She doesn't act the way humans do."  
"That's because she's _not _human."  
"She's a demon."  
"There we go! Special Ed. gets it!"  
"Just…tell me what that means."  
"Well, have you noticed that when she gets mad she sorta…well…"  
"Expands?" Charlotte furrowed her brow and Mark nodded.  
"She expands. Or grows. She has two sides. One is little old Ellen, no more than a child. Usually when she's frightened, or put down. But when she's mad, or feeling powerful, she grows, or morphs into her other self. It's still Ellen, just…meaner."  
"Stronger?" Charlotte rubbed her wrist where she had been dragged along by that night.  
"Yes. So, just don't get her mad. Same with the boss. He runs the show."  
"Is he a demon too?" Charlotte asked nervously. Mark laughed and shook his head.  
"Only when you piss him off." He stopped laughing when Charlotte looked at him uncertainly. "No. And no, I'm not either."  
"OK. That's one question. The other is, why am I here?" Charlotte put a hand to her hip, and Mark opened his mouth to speak.  
"You're here for the same reason we are." A voice boomed out from the darkness of the doorway, and Charlotte jumped almost as high at Mark. Mark quivered slightly, and Charlotte turned to see who had just entered. The speaker was tall, his skin dark. He wore a long brown coat, and sunglasses. He spoke again in a deep voice, "You're here to kick some demon ass."


End file.
